Day 25 - 40 Days of HOPE
Dr Jim Brown's TruNorth Devotional
40 Days of HOPE
Day 25 | UNITY AND ONE HOPE
40 Days of HOPE
Day 25 | UNITY AND ONE HOPE
UNITY AND ONE HOPE
Ephesians 4:1-6
“Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, being diligent to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you also were called in One Hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.” (NASB)
Even while in prison, Paul certainly seemed to know those Ephesians pretty well, didn’t he? (Of course, they were one of his “church plants.”) For instance, He knew that left on their own there would soon be disunity, arguments, and many upset and perhaps angry people as they got in each other’s faces.
Paul reminds them of the need for humility, gentleness, patience, and love one for another to keep the “unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” He then gives supportive reasoning: ONE body, ONE Spirit, and each of them was called in ONE Hope; ONE LORD, ONE Faith, ONE baptism, and ONE God and Father.
With those pictures in mind, the ONENESS of their faith, their ONENESS as a body, and their ONE Hope (the Lord Jesus Christ), it would be no more logical for them to be at odds with one another than it would be for them (or us) to be upset and angry with one of their arms, or ears, or fingers, or feet.
The bottom line: We in Christ must be diligent to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Prayer: LORD help me remember this important teaching on the need to bear with one another in love and not to be divided. We need a solid testimony for the world today, and UNITY in YOU can make a positive impression on those who don’t yet know You as Lord and Savior. Amen.
Ephesians 4:1-6
“Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, being diligent to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you also were called in One Hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.” (NASB)
Even while in prison, Paul certainly seemed to know those Ephesians pretty well, didn’t he? (Of course, they were one of his “church plants.”) For instance, He knew that left on their own there would soon be disunity, arguments, and many upset and perhaps angry people as they got in each other’s faces.
Paul reminds them of the need for humility, gentleness, patience, and love one for another to keep the “unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” He then gives supportive reasoning: ONE body, ONE Spirit, and each of them was called in ONE Hope; ONE LORD, ONE Faith, ONE baptism, and ONE God and Father.
With those pictures in mind, the ONENESS of their faith, their ONENESS as a body, and their ONE Hope (the Lord Jesus Christ), it would be no more logical for them to be at odds with one another than it would be for them (or us) to be upset and angry with one of their arms, or ears, or fingers, or feet.
The bottom line: We in Christ must be diligent to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Prayer: LORD help me remember this important teaching on the need to bear with one another in love and not to be divided. We need a solid testimony for the world today, and UNITY in YOU can make a positive impression on those who don’t yet know You as Lord and Savior. Amen.